Interlude
by LaurenAnn123
Summary: This fic is a missing scene from the fic Discovery, Secrets and a Bit of Magic. Comes between chapters 5 and 6 of said fic.


**Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue.**

**A/N: This is for all the reviewers who asked why chapter 6 of my fic ****Discovery, Secrets and a Bit of Magic**** turned out like it did.**

Missing scene from Discovery, Secrets and a Bit of Magic

Although Harry had seemed genuinely excited when he had said "Only another two months to go!", Lupin couldn't help but notice a gradual change in his behaviour as the weeks passed. He became increasingly moody, with every conversation between them turning into an argument of some sort, leaving Harry in a bad mood and Lupin in tears. He also started to become quite withdrawn, as he would come home from work, give Lupin a kiss on the cheek if he was there and then disappear off, saying he had 'things to do'. Recently he had taken to sleeping on the sofa in the living room during the weekends that Lupin stayed over, leaving Lupin alone in the bed they once shared. By the time Lupin came downstairs for breakfast in the morning, Harry had already left for work.

Lupin was tired of waking up in a cold, empty bed. _Harry should be here with me_, he thought sadly. He wanted someone to hold him, reassure him that he was safe, that the twins were safe. He made up his mind. He was going to get Harry to talk to him.

He waited until Harry came into the living room that evening to give him the usual chaste kiss on the cheek, then, when Harry made to stand up and leave the room, Lupin grabbed his arm.

"Harry, what the hell is the matter with you? You've been avoiding me for weeks now," he asked, making sure Harry stayed put by gripping his arm tightly. He couldn't be sure what sort of expression Harry arranged his face into at those words. Confused? Angry?

Tugging his arm out of Lupin's grip, Harry turned away from him, walked to the armchair opposite the sofa and lowered himself into it slowly. Dropping his gaze to the floor, he took his time getting his words out. It seemed an age before he spoke.

"To be quite honest with you, Remus, I'm not sure I'm ready for this."

Lupin was confused. "Ready for what?"

"To settle down and have a family. I was really shocked when you first told me you were pregnant. I lived with the Dursleys for 17 years, Remus. _Muggles_. No-one told me wizards could get pregnant. Or is it just werewolves?"

Lupin was thoroughly stunned. "But you- you were- you seemed fine about it when I told you. Happy, even. But only now, seven months into my second pregnancy, you tell me that you're shocked?" he said, staring at Harry, disbelieving. "How could you only tell me that now? I would have tried to help you understand the basics of male pregnancy." He stood up, running a hand through his flop of brown and grey hair, making it stand on end. Merlin, he was frustrated. The babies were kicking him in protest now, upset by his agitation.

"I _seemed_ fine. Doesn't mean I was, Remus. And I'm not sure I still love you. I've really tried to. But I'm only 18, I've got my whole life ahead of me. I don't want to be tied down with kids until I'm 30. I wasn't thinking when I asked you to marry me. I pitied you, because I could see your pain after Sirius died. You obviously weren't thinking straight either, Remus. You were too wrapped up into your own feelings, your own pain. You let me in too soon after he died, needing something that reminded you of Sirius to cling to. You didn't care if I wanted out, you wouldn't let me go; you got yourself pregnant because you thought that would be the one thing that kept us together. And maybe it worked before, Remus, but it won't work now," Harry replied, looking directly at Lupin. "And don't get so agitated, you'll upset the kids, and I'm sure you wouldn't like that," he added, removing his engagement ring and setting it on the coffee table in front of him.

Lupin sat down again, his breathing evening out now that he was sitting down. The babies had stopped kicking now. He felt like crying, but decided against it; he'd only look weak. Their relationship had gone down the drain in the space of ten minutes.

"You- you don't love me? But I still love you, Harry. I need you, not just for me, but for the children as well. I'm carrying _your_ children, Harry, no-one else's. Doesn't that prove-" But before he could finish, Harry cut him off. Lupin sat, dumbstruck. Harry had never cut him off mid-sentence before.

"I'm telling you, Remus, I don't love you. Maybe I did before, but not any more. You being pregnant, it's driving me mad. I didn't plan on having kids of my own until I was at least twenty-five. I want to have a life, Remus, like any other eighteen-year-old. I want you out of my life for good. I never want to see you again, ever.

At those words, Lupin's world began to crumble. Harry, his Harry getting further away from him, until he was just a dot on the horizon. "Harry, you must reconsider! Please! I beg you to reconsider!" He fell to his knees on the hard wooden floor, he was that desperate to have Harry back.

Harry, however, just looked at him coldly. "Begging never did anyone any good, Remus. I've reconsidered our relationship. You know how I feel about you having kids. Get. Out. Now."

Cold. Uncaring. Unfeeling. Hot tears threatened to fall, but he forced them back and picked himself off the floor carefully. His inner strength was weakening.

"I've told you already, Remus. Out." Grabbing his arm, Harry dragged him to the front door, wrenched it open, shoved Lupin out into the rain and slammed the door behind him, hard. He shoved Lupin out the door so hard his knees buckled and he fell on the sharp gravel of the driveway, cutting both knees badly. There was the evidence. Harry really didn't love him any more. Tears dripped off the end of his nose and cascaded down his cheeks, mingling with the rain.

As he sat painfully on the driveway, his thoughts were of one person. Harry.

_My love for you is unconditional and unending. It remains even when everything else is gone. Even when everything else is you__, Harry._

He stood up, wet through, and walked back down the driveway to Apparate back to Hogwarts.


End file.
